The Brightest Sky
by XxFallingFeathersxX
Summary: Skykit and her littermates are born into a RiverClan that has recovered well from the Great Battle with the Dark Forest. But she'll soon find that the harshest battles are fought within Clan boundaries, and sometimes secrets are best left just that. Rated T for Teen just to be safe, contains many OCs along with canon cats, violence later. I own only OCs, Warriors is Erin Hunter's.
1. Chapter 1 - Shining Sky

**Hello again my lovelies! It is I, back from the dead, your friend Feathers!**

 **Seriously though**

 **Sorry I've totally just been D.E.A.D**

 **There's been a lot going on in my life, a lot of stress and a lot of tragedy, and a whole heaping of writer's block bigger than the mountains.**

 **But I've got more time now! So I PROMISE I'll be more active!**

 **So here's my first (published) Warrior Cats fanfiction. It will be taking place after the events of The Last Hope, with my OCs in RiverClan**

 **At the end of this chapter I'll post a list of my OCs so no one gets confuzzled!**

 **Happy reading, cats and kittens!**

"Keep up, Skykit!"

Skykit jerked her head up. Featherkit and Flamekit were racing across the clearing towards the fresh-kill pile, their tails stuck straight up. Skykit charged after them, her paws sending up puffs of dust as she ran. They skidded to a halt and Skykit tripped over her own paws, tumbling to a stop at the feet of another warrior. Rushsplash stepped aside, purring with amusement as Skykit scrabbled to her paws.

"Watch where you're putting your paws," he teased, nudging her away with his nose. His mate Mossytail butted his shoulder with her head.

"He's just being a grumpy old badger this morning," she said, licking Skykit between the ears. "Are you and your littermates behaving?"

"Yes, Mossytail," Featherkit said, bouncing up. She was a gorgeous gray tabby with a slender tail and angular ears. Flamekit was ash colored with orange on his paws like his mother's mother. "We're fetching Creamfeather some fresh-kill."

"Well, you'd better fetch it and head back to the nursery," Rushsplash said, twisting to groom his thick fur. "You don't want to make Creamfeather worry."

"Yes, Rushsplash," the kits said obediently, ducking around them toward the fresh-kill pile. It should have been full with the greenleaf-fat fish—instead, it seemed like the heat had taken its toll on even the fish. There were only a couple fish—two salmon and a trout—and they were small.

Skykit snatched up the biggest of the salmon by the head and meowed, "I'll take this to Mother." Even the scales, which should have tasted moist and fishy, were dry with lack of water. She wrinkled her nose as it seemed to suck the water out of her mouth

Flamekit grabbed the tail of the salmon and helped her drag it toward the nursery while Featherkit picked up the tiny trout and jogged after them.

Creamfeather was curled up in her nest in the nursery beside Duskfur, who was grooming herself. She didn't have any kits of her own, but chose to remain in the nursery to take care of new queens instead of retiring to the elders' den. She looked up drowsily as the three kits trotted in with their fresh-kill.

Featherkit took the trout over to Duskfur and laid it by the queen. "I brought this for you," she said, looking up with bright blue eyes.

"You're so thoughtful—thank you, Featherkit," Duskfur purred, gently touching her nose to the kit's ear. Skykit prodded her mother's shoulder with one paw.

"Creamfeather, we brought you a fish," she said. Flamekit leaned forward and mewed loudly in Creamfeather's ear. The queen flicked her ears back and raised her head, blinking sleepily. When she saw the salmon, she purred gratefully and pushed herself into a sitting position.

"Are you three kits keeping out of trouble?" she asked as she began tucking neatly into the fish.

"Of course we are," Skykit said, somewhat crossly, flicking her tongue to wet it again. Why did cats always seem to think that they were going to get into trouble at every turn of a paw? She was a finely behaved kit.

Creamfeather licked her indignant kit's head. "Why don't you three go play in the clearing?" she said gently. "Just don't get under any cat's paws."

Featherkit and Flamekit instantly charged off. Skykit sat down with a thump. She was too annoyed to think about playing.

"Is something wrong, dear?" her mother asked.

"Why does every cat think that we're troublemakers?" she complained. "We're not."

"I know," Creamfeather sympathized, her eyes sparkling with understanding. "When I was your age, cats always thought that Heatherheart and I were going to burn the camp down because we had so much energy, but we never got into trouble."

"Not usually," Duskfur teased. She was the oldest queen in RiverClan, and had nursed Creamfeather's father when he was a tiny kit. "I remember one time when you got into Willowshine's den and fell into her pool? You knocked in most of her herbs too, if I'm not mistaken."

Creamfeather purred. "Well, we didn't _usually_ get into trouble," she amended. Turning to look at Skykit again, she licked her between the ears. "Go play with your littermates, dear."

Skykit stood up, feeling a little better, and trotted out of the nursery and into the clearing. The heat seemed to have intensified since she had gone into the nursery. The air was dry and she could see waves of heat rising from around the camp. Rushsplash and Mossytail had retired to the shade beneath a willow tree. Mistystar was coming out of her den, her pelt glowing in the glare of the sun-high sun. She stretched and went to greet her deputy Sparklesong, who was rolling around in the dust near the entrance to the camp.

Flamekit and Featherkit were hiding behind a patch of thick reeds, peeking out at where Tawnytalon sat, staring into the reeds at a blackbird. His tail was twitching behind him; the two kits were creeping up on it stealthily.

The reeds trembled at the entrance to the camp, gaining Tawnytalon's attention. He stood up just as the kits pounced. Their target gone, they just tumbled over each other and slammed into Tawnytalon, who fell over with a yowl of shock.

The hunting party dashed into the camp—Troutstream, Mallownose, Pebblefoot, and Graymist. Between the four of them, they had only managed to catch a water vole and two salmon.

"That's all?" Mistystar's eyes were dismayed. "Well, it's better than nothing, I suppose," she sighed. "Put that on the fresh-kill pile and then you can go out again after you rest."

"Father!" Featherkit cheered, leaping off of a dazed Tawnytalon and pouncing on Mallownose with Flamekit hard on her paws. Skykit dashed after them and pushed off, barreling them all over. Mallownose staggered dramatically and fell to his side, batting at the kits with carefully sheathed paws.

"Sneaky attack, Skykit!" he praised breathlessly. "Ow! Put your claws away, Flamekit! And who's got their teeth in my tail?" He rolled over, taking Featherkit with him. "You three will make great fighters one day!"

Mistystar stood a few pawsteps away, carefully out of range of the kittens' attack, and waited until Mallownose batted them off and stood up before approaching. Skykit tumbled away, wrestling with Flamekit, and she barely heard as Mistystar said something about the senior warriors meeting in her den. Featherkit barreled into them and the three kits yowled happily, play-fighting and rolling away.

"Behave, kits," Mallownose called as he padded away. "I'll teach you a battle move when I get done, okay?"

"Okay!" they mewed. Featherkit pushed Skykit over and ran away, her tail sticking straight up. Flamekit screeched with laughter and ran after her. Skykit followed, determined to get revenge.

Her two older littermates ran into the medicine den and Skykit skidded to a halt. Creamfeather had told her that they were not allowed in there without Heatherheart or Willowshine. Both of them were out collecting herbs.

"I don't think we're allowed in there," she called in nervously, her ears twitching.

"Don't be a scaredy-paws!" Flamekit shouted back. "It's awesome in here! You should come!"

"Oh, but…" Skykit nervously scuffed the ground with her paws.

Featherkit stuck her head out, looking mischievous. "We won't get in trouble if we don't get caught," she insisted. "Come on, scaredy-paws!"

"I'm not a scaredy-paws!" Skykit growled indignantly, her fur bristling up.

"Then come in here."

Steeling her nerves, Skykit charged in before she could talk herself out of it. She ran into Flamekit, and they both fell over. The whole den was dark and cool, and the strong, sweet smell of herbs hung thickly in the air. Two nests of bracken, moss, and feathers sat beside the pool, smelling of Willowshine and Heatherheart.

"Look at these!" Featherkit batted a round, hard poppy head toward her littermates with a strong swipe of her paw. It rattled as the seeds inside were tumbled around. "This would make a great plaything."

"It's a game!" Flamekit jumped to his feet and pounced on the head, kicking it away from him with a strong push of his hind legs. It hit Skykit in the chest, and she hissed in surprise, kicking it back. Featherkit leapt on it, tumbling away and bowling over a pile of yarrow. Flamekit leapt after her, kicking dust over some catmint leaves. Skykit leapt after them just as a shocked yowl sounded from behind them.

"What are you three _doing?!_ "

Skykit skidded to a halt, whipping around with her ears flat against her head. Featherkit and Flamekit froze, the poppy head tumbling away and splashing into the fresh-water pool.

Willowshine and Heatherheart stood at the entrance to the den, looking shocked. Willowshine's eyes traveled slowly around the mess the kits had made, and her shock slowly turned to carefully controlled fury. She seemed to bite back what she wanted to say, however, and merely stalked forward to fish the poppy head out of the pool.

"You _three!_ " Heatherheart hissed furiously. The kits shrank close together. Skykit's heart was slamming against her ribs hard enough that she swore Heatherheart could hear it.

"W-We didn't mean to make a mess, Heatherheart," Flamekit said in a small voice. "We're sorry."

"'Sorry' catches no prey!" She snatched Flamekit up by the scruff and whipped around, stalking out of the den, leaving Featherkit and Skykit to scramble after her. Flamekit threw his tail between his legs, his wide blue eyes scared. Even he knew better than to argue, even though he hated being carried. Skykit caught a whiff of fear-scent from both of her littermates.

Outside of the medicine den, Heatherheart dropped Flamekit onto the dry, dusty ground and yowled, "Creamfeather! Creamfeather, where _are_ you?"

The cream-colored queen poked her head out of the nursery, startled. Upon seeing her kits and a bristling Heatherheart, she pulled herself fully out of the den and bounded across to her kin.

"What's going on?" she asked, startled. "Heatherheart, what happened?"

"Your _kits_ happened!" she screeched, her fur bristling furiously. "Just go _look_ at the mess they made in the medicine den! They ruined a perfectly good store of yarrow and catmint, and we've lost most of our poppy seeds!"

Creamfeather shot her kits looks. "Did any of you eat anything?" she demanded.

They all mutely shook their heads. Skykit could feel Featherkit and Flamekit trembling beside her, and they all shrank under her mother and Heatherheart's stern looks.

"Look," Creamfeather soothed, touching Heatherheart's shoulder with her tail, "I'm sure they didn't mean any harm. They've got rebellion in their nature."

The look in Heatherheart's eyes softened and her fur fell flat. Something seemed to pass between the she-cats, a memory that Skykit didn't understand.

"If it'll make it better," Creamfeather continued, "and if Mistystar agrees, then you can have them tomorrow for collecting more herbs."

Alarm flashed momentarily in Heatherheart's eyes. "But catmint and yarrow only grow near the Twolegplace."

"Kits, go back to the nursery," Creamfeather said.

"A-Are we in trouble?" Featherkit squeaked tenderly.

"We'll discuss that later," their mother said. "Go back to the nursery; Duskfur will watch you until I get back."

Flamekit and Featherkit scurried away. Skykit made like she was going to follow, and then ducked into the reeds next to the nursery where she could see her mother and her mother's sister.

"They're going to have to meet him sometime," Creamfeather was saying.

"Do you know how devastating it would be for them to know? And if they let something slip to the Clan? Mallownose—"

"Don't drag Mallownose into this," Creamfeather hissed suddenly, her eyes blazing. "He has nothing to do with this."

Heatherheart paused. "I know you think that you're keeping the kits safe by not letting them know about him, but I think you're making a mistake. They deserve to know. I can't change your mind, and I won't tell them myself, but if we run into him tomorrow, then I won't keep him from telling them what he wants to tell them." She touched noses with Creamfeather and walked past her. "I'm going to go talk to Mistystar about letting me have them tomorrow."

She padded away. Creamfeather sat down heavily, bowing her head.

"Oh, kits," she whispered to herself, in a voice Skykit could only hear if she strained. "I just didn't want you to get hurt."

Backing out of the reeds, she crept quietly into the nursery and sat down beside Flamekit and Featherkit. Duskfur had her back turned to the kits sitting in their nest, so Skykit didn't have to answer any questions.

"Where were you?" Flamekit hissed in her ear as she dropped into the nest.

She decided in a split second not to tell her littermates about what she had overheard. She didn't even know if there was anything _to_ tell.

So Skykit shook her head.

"Nowhere."

 **WOW OKAY THAT WAS HUGE**

 **Okay so. My OC's.**

 **Let's start at the top. Sparklesong and Tawnytalon, both OCs, are mates. They had Creamfeather and Heatherheart. Heatherheart became Willowshine's apprentice following Mothwing's death. Creamfeather found a mate (in Mallownose, not an OC, he's in the allegiances in The Last Hope, I did my research :D ), and had Skykit, Featherkit, and Flamekit. They're all about three moons old here (and already getting into heaps of trouble!).**

 **More chapters to come, hopefully soon! PLEASE leave a review and let me know what you think, and what you want to see!**

 **~Falling Feathers~**


	2. Chapter 2 - Dawn Sky

**So I'm on a roll...**

 **And I already have one review! :D**

 **To Featherfall's Lullaby: Thanks so much! And it's totally okay, haha :3 I'm glad you're reading!**

 **And on that note**

 **Enjoy!**

"Kits, wake up. Skykit, Flamekit, Featherkit, it's time to wake up."

Skykit blearily opened her eyes. Flamekit and Featherkit were staggering sleepily to their paws. The sun was streaming into the nursery and onto the kits. Skykit wondered why her mother had woken them up so early when she remembered they were to gather herbs with Heatherheart today.

Suddenly wide-awake, she rolled to her paws and bounced out of the nest. Flamekit and Featherkit stumbled after her, yawning. When they seemed to remember that they were going to be going out of the camp, they jerked awake and looked around excitedly.

Creamfeather was grooming herself, sitting up in her nest. Duskfur raised her head tiredly.

"You four are up early," she commented through a yawn.

"These three are helping Heatherheart gather herbs today," Creamfeather meowed, "to make up for the trouble they got into yesterday."

"You wouldn't catch me out this early," Duskfur replied, laying back down. "My old bones couldn't take walking to Twolegplace and back."

"We're big and strong," Flamekit said with an excited bounce. "We're almost six moons old!"

"You three will be apprenticed in no time at all," Creamfeather remarked. Finishing her washing, she stood up and stretched. "It's shortly after sunrise. Let's go find Heatherheart."

When they emerged from the nursery, they found Heatherheart speaking with Mistystar near the entrance to the den. Even for early in the morning, the day was promising to be as hot and dry as the one before it. The dry camp was already littered with pawprints left in the dust, and butterflies perched in the shade of the reeds. Any other day, the kits would have found great joy in running through the butterflies and watching them scatter, but today, they felt grown up and wanted to impress the bigger cats.

Featherkit pounded toward their leader and Heatherheart with Skykit and Flamekit following on her tail. Skykit's paws itched with excitement—she was getting a chance to explore RiverClan's territory!

Mistystar looked at them as they pulled to a halt beside Heatherheart. "Are you three ready? The trip to Twolegplace and back is going to be long and hard," she warned. "You three are going to be exhausted and sore."

"We're big!" Flamekit repeated, puffing out his chest and sticking his tail up. "We can handle it."

Mistystar purred. "Okay, but stay very close to Heatherheart and listen to _everything_ she says. If she tells you to do something, you have to do it, understand, kits?"

"Yes," they all chorused. Skykit kneaded the ground with her paws, eager to be moving.

"Let's go, then," Heatherheart said, touching noses with Creamfeather before turning to head out of the camp. Creamfeather touched each of her kits in turn, her eyes shining.

"Behave yourselves," she meowed.

"We will," Featherkit promised, running after Heatherheart. Flamekit dashed after her. Skykit looked up at Creamfeather. Her eyes held some emotion that Skykit couldn't identify, but she blinked it away and touched noses with her youngest kit.

"Be good," she whispered. "I'll always love you, no matter what."

Skykit blinked. What did Creamfeather mean by that? She opened her mouth to ask a question when Heatherheart called, "Skykit, let's go!"

Skykit hesitated.

"Go on," Creamfeather urged, nudging her kit gently toward the entrance with her nose. "Don't keep Heatherheart waiting."

"We'll be back by sundown," she promised, turning and racing after her littermates.

They managed to stay on one side of the river until they reached Twolegplace. Heatherheart stopped beside a bush with small black berries on it.

"There's yarrow growing under this bush," she said, "but I'm too big to get under there. Can one of you get it?"

"I can!" Slender Featherkit ducked down and wriggled under the bush.

"Be careful not to hurt yourself," Heatherheart said, crouching down and looking after her. Flamekit and Skykit copied her. "Can you find them?"

"Are they fat leaves that smell really sharp?" Featherkit asked.

"Yes, just like that," Heatherheart mewed. "Bite them off close to the ground, but don't get any dirt into your mouth or you'll be tasting it for days."

"I'll be! Is that you, Heatherheart?"

She turned her head sharply, her ears sticking straight up. A cat leapt down from a nearby fence and trotted over. He had black and white fur with some lighter gray down his face. He had a long, dangling collar wrapped around his neck that was frayed on the ends.

"Snake!" she meowed, trotting forward to touch noses with the tom. "How's the prey running? Are the Twolegs treating you well?"

"I can't complain," he said, shrugging. Looking around her, his eyes brightened. "And who are these kits?" he inquired as they walked back toward the blackberry bush. Featherkit reappeared from under the bush, shuffling backwards and dragging long, leafy stems of yarrow in her jaws.

"These are Creamfeather's kits," she said. Something flashed darkly in Snake's eyes, a buried memory, perhaps, but it was gone so fast, Skykit couldn't be sure that it had even been there.

"They look just like her," he murmured, bending forward to sniff at Skykit's flank. She shrank away, unsure of why this kittypet was talking with Heatherheart. "What's your name, little one?" When she hesitated, he purred and meowed, "I'm an old friend of your mother's. I won't hurt you."

The three kits looked at Heatherheart. She nodded her head slightly. They all exchanged looks.

"I'm Skykit," she replied after a moment. "This is my brother Flamekit and my sister Featherkit."

"The names suit you." The darkness in his eyes was back, more pronounced, but his tone was still light and happy. "It's like Creamfeather to have picked such fine names. Who's your father, kits, if you don't mind my asking?"

Featherkit looked uncertainly at Heatherheart, but none of the kits said anything.

"Mallownose," Heatherheart murmured in Snake's ear. He closed his forest-green eyes and nodded slowly.

"Mallownose is a good role model," he rumbled to himself. He opened his eyes again, purring. "What are you four doing so far from your camp? And you're just kits too. I thought kits stayed in camp."

"Well, these specific kits got into a spot of trouble yesterday, and I've got them on herb patrol," Heatherheart explained. "We were just getting ready to go fetch some catmint."

"That's a pretty long ways to take these little ones," Snake said. "If you like, I can run over there and fetch some for you, quick as a fish."

Heatherheart looked relieved. "Could you do that, Snake?"

"I'll meet you by the lightning-struck tree at the fork in the river," he said. Touching noses with her again, he turned around and pelted off. Heatherheart watched him go before turning back around and looking down at the yarrow that Featherkit had gathered.

"Is there any more?" Heatherheart asked. "If you could get just a little bit more, Featherkit, the same way you gathered these, that would be fantastic."

"Okay!" Featherkit dove back under the bush. Flamekit was stalking a beetle a little ways off. Skykit sat down with a thump and looked after Snake, even though he had already disappeared back into Twolegplace.

"Heatherheart, who was that?" she asked.

"He's an old friend of your mother's and mine," Heatherheart replied, scooping the yarrow into a neater pile. Her voice was careful, like she almost didn't want to give a lot away. "We met him at the beginning of last leaf-bare when Reedwhisker, the deputy before Sparklesong, was sick with greencough and we didn't have enough catmint. He helped us."

Skykit tipped her head to the side as Featherkit scrabbled back out from under the bush and Flamekit pounced on his beetle. She could tell that there was something that Heatherheart wasn't telling her, but she guessed that she wouldn't figure out what it was even if she pushed.

"Let's go wait by the river while Snake fetches the catmint for us," Heatherheart said. "Flamekit, Skykit, can you each take part of this yarrow? Don't bite down too hard, though, or you could damage the leaves."

Skykit scooped some herbs into her jaws and trotted along after Heatherheart, in the lead of her littermates.

 **Okay so this one is a little shorter**

 **SUSPENSEEEEE**

 **Question of the day: Where do you think Snake plays in? Will he be pivotal? Only time will tell!**

 **~Feathers**


	3. Chapter 3 - Storming Sky

**So I may or may not be slightly obsessed with this. Don't judge.**

The sun had almost set by the time they reached the camp. Snake had caught them a rabbit as well as bringing as much catmint as he could carry, and had escorted them close to the camp before leaving them and telling Heatherheart to give his best to Creamfeather.

When they came into the clearing, they found Creamfeather sharing tongues with Mallownose under the willow tree at the edge of the clearing. Mistystar and Sparklesong were talking, crouched by the fresh-kill pile. The two apprentices, Salmonpaw and Amberpaw, were play-fighting by their den. Willowshine was sniffing Duskfur's pelt, a pawful of herbs at her paws. The elderly queen was stretched out on a sun-warmed rock with Pouncetail beside her, grooming herself.

Heatherheart led the way across the clearing with the proud kits behind her, pulling along the herbs. Once they were all safely deposited in the medicine den, Featherkit and Flamekit dashed out into the clearing, calling out for their mother. Skykit flicked her tongue a few times, trying to wet it, while she followed Heatherheart around a bit.

"Is there something you need, Skykit?" Heatherheart finally asked.

"Does Snake love Creamfeather?" she asked. Heatherheart froze.

"I don't know," she said carefully. "I don't know how toms think, Skykit. Why do you ask?"

"He had an odd look whenever you talked about Creamfeather," Skykit meowed. "And when you told him about Mallownose, he looked kind of upset."

"You ask too many questions, Skykit." Her tone had a sharp edge to it that wasn't there before. Heatherheart turned around and gave Skykit a nudge with her nose toward the clearing. "Go play with your littermates. It's already late; you can play a little bit and then Creamfeather will probably send you to bed."

"I thought questions were good." Skykit stubbornly dug her claws into the ground.

"Not questions that will get you into trouble!" Heatherheart hissed suddenly. Her eyes blazed and she glared at Skykit. "You shouldn't poke your nose where it doesn't belong!"

"You and Creamfeather are keeping things from Featherkit and Flamekit and I!" she burst out. "I heard you talking last night!"

Heatherheart recoiled as if Skykit had struck her. "You—were listening?"

"I'm going to find out what you're keeping from us," she growled. "I swear I will." And then she turned and ran away.

"From this moment until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Skypaw. Train hard to be the best warrior you can be."

"Flamepaw! Featherpaw! Skypaw!" The whole of RiverClan took up the chant as Skypaw exchanged excited glances with her littermates. They were well on their way to being warriors.

It was a half-moon after their herb-gathering expedition, and it was as hot as it had been back then. It had only rained once, two days before and just a flash storm overnight that refilled the rivers but didn't bring back the fat fish. The RiverClan cats were unusually skinny for greenleaf, but they weren't going hungry.

 _Not yet, at least_ , Skypaw caught herself thinking.

Skypaw's mentor, Rushsplash, looked down at her as the meeting ended. She pulled herself out of her upsetting thought train with some effort. "Do you want to take a tour of the territory? We can see the boundaries and if there's time, we can try out some hunting crouches."

"Can Featherpaw and Flamepaw come too?" Skypaw asked.

"Not right now," Graymist, Flamepaw's mentor, said, touching her apprentice on the shoulder with the tip of her tail when he wilted. "I'm going to take Flamepaw out to the stream so we can go hunting. I figure that with prey the way it is, we need more cats hunting than battle training."

"We'll come with you," Pebblefoot meowed, assigned as Featherpaw's mentor. Featherpaw and Skypaw shared excited looks.

"Let's go, then," Rushsplash said, trotting out of the camp. Pebblefoot followed, with Featherpaw and Skypaw bringing up the rear. There were waves of heat rising from the reeds and the stones that were scattered around the riverbank. Skypaw picked up her paws as the water-smoothed rocks burned her pads. Featherpaw was attempting to stand in her mentor's shadow, where the rocks were cooler.

Pebblefoot seemed to notice this. He picked up the pace until he was walking beside Rushsplash and said to the younger warrior, "Maybe we should start with some swimming exercises. It's too hot to make it very far around the borders without stopping for shade every few pawsteps."

Rushsplash paused, fidgeting on the stones underpaw. "I see what you mean," he meowed to Pebblefoot. "We can start on some swimming then." He turned to look at the apprentices. "You can go ahead and slip into the river—"

Featherpaw shrieked with excitement, throwing herself instantly into the river with a huge splash. Rushsplash jumped backwards as water splashed up, droplets splattering over the three cats on the bank. She resurfaced, splashing madly, her eyes bright with excitement as she paddled to the shallow part of the river and rose to her paws.

"This feels fantastic!" she cried. "Come on, Skypaw!"

She raced across the pebbly shore and jumped in after her sister. Water coursed up over her head and she went under. Opening her eyes, she saw a frog swim away in panic. A small group of tadpoles surged away from her paddling paws.

Pushing herself above the surface of the water and shaking water from her ears, she watched Rushsplash and Pebblefoot slip into the water with only slight ripples spreading from their shoulders.

"Let's try something simple, just to get you use to swimming in stronger currents," Rushsplash said, glancing at Pebblefoot. The older warrior dipped his head, urging the young mentor to continue. "I want you both to swim upstream as far as that willow tree," he continued, pointing with his dripping wet tail. The two apprentices turned; about six or seven fox-lengths upstream, a willow tree hung over the water, the tips of its long branches trailing in the river. "It's not a race, but you should try to swim as fast as you can without tiring yourself out."

Skypaw splashed at Featherpaw playfully. "Bet I can swim faster than you!"

"Bet you can't!" she challenged back.

"It's not a race," Pebblefoot reiterated firmly. "I don't want you two hurting yourselves."

"So swim there, and we'll go from there, okay?" Rushsplash said. "Ready? Go!"

Skypaw launched herself off of the flat rock she was standing on and began paddling toward the willow tree. Almost immediately, the current shoved her backwards, and she barely got anywhere with a few strong pushes.

 _This is harder than I thought!_ Skypaw thought as she tipped her head back to keep it above water. Featherpaw seemed to be having the same troubles, kicking out hard with her hind legs and paddling madly with her front paws.

"Your power is in your hind legs," Rushsplash meowed, swimming up strongly beside her. "Alternate kicking with your back legs and pulling with your front ones."

Skypaw kicked out hard and pulled forward with her front legs, feeling the water spread out beneath her paws. She moved forward a little further than she had with her uncoordinated splashing, and continued to kick and pull.

Pebblefoot came up beside Featherpaw. "Don't lash your tail," he instructed. "Let it sort of drag in the water behind you or move it underwater. Whipping it around on the surface of the water will only waste energy."

Featherpaw opened her mouth to respond, and then choked, spluttering, as a wave broke over her face. Pebblefoot darted behind her and nudged her up as she sank a little, her rhythm broken.

"Good job, Skypaw!" Rushsplash praised. "Nearly there!"

With a start, she realized she was only about a cat-length away from the willow. Paddling harder, she pulled ahead of her mentor and leapt on one of the trailing branches with a yowl of triumph. Sandy pebbles met under her paws as she scrabbled up the gently sloping ground under the willow tree. Featherpaw joined her a moment later.

Skypaw was proud; she had finished her first training exercise as an apprentice—soon she could learn how to fight and defend her Clan like any other warrior!

 **OOH HEATHERHEART HAS BEEN CAUGHT RED...pawed?**

 **Let me know what you think!**

 **~Yours, Feathers**


	4. Chapter 4 - Warm Sky

They trained until sundown, when they returned to camp, soaked to the skin but cool and tired. When Featherpaw and Skypaw emerged into the camp, they found Flamepaw sharing a fat trout with Amberpaw—the fattest fish they had seen in ages.

"Where did you find _that_?" Featherpaw asked, breaking into a run and dashing toward her brother. Skypaw raced after her. They both looked up and a spark of jealousy spiked their gazes as they took in the she-cats' soaked pelts.

"You got to go swimming?" Amberpaw cried. "Lucky! I had to clear out the elder's den and the nursery, and it was _so_ hot!"

"Not for us," Skypaw purred teasingly.

"Don't rub it in! I thought you were going to explore the territory!" Flamepaw said, scooting over to make room for the she-cats on the shady ground under the maple tree where the apprentices ate.

"It got too hot," Featherpaw explained, sitting down and beginning to groom herself. "Back to my question—where did you find that huge fish?"

"Salmonpaw caught it," Amberpaw meowed, her eyes sparkling with pride as she praised her brother. "He fished it right out of the lake! Of course, it almost pulled him into the water too!"

Skypaw tore a bite out of the trout and relished in the fatty flavor that fell across her tongue. Chewing slowly, she swallowed before asking, "Where _is_ Salmonpaw? He should be helping eat his own fish."

"He's taking care of Duskfur and Pouncetail's ticks," Amberpaw mewed, gnawing on the tail of the trout. "Troutstream said he can check on them since he was hunting all morning. He's been at it a while, though—StarClan knows, Troutstream had probably got him on moss patrol too!"

The four apprentices purred. Featherpaw, satisfied with her nearly dry fur, padded over and began picking at what was left of the trout.

"It's been a while since there's been a fish big enough to feed more than one or two cats," Amberpaw commented, sitting up and swiping her tongue around her jaws. "This fed all of us."

"Salmonpaw's turning into quite the fine hunter," a new voice commented from behind them. They turned around. Sparklesong was coming forward, looking appreciatively at the trout, which only the head of remained, and the tail, which Amberpaw was still gnawing on. Flamepaw grabbed the end she didn't have in her teeth, and they began a fierce tug-of-war, snarling and growling playfully.

"His hunting skills will be well appreciated when he becomes a warrior," she continued, flicking a leaf off of Skypaw's shoulder that had stuck to her drying fur. "Speaking of warriors, how are you all coming along in your training?"

"Rushsplash and Tawnytalon had us swimming all day," Skypaw said excitedly. "I swam faster than Featherpaw."

"Only because I kept swallowing water!" her sister retorted. Flamepaw screeched in surprise and tumbled backwards as Amberpaw suddenly let go of her end of the trout tail, sending him flying. He landed hard on his back at Sparklesong's paws, still gripping the trout tail.

The ginger and cream warrior bent down and snatched the tail away, her eyes sparkling. "You can have this back when you catch me!" she purred, taking off across the clearing.

"After her!" Skypaw yowled, charging after the deputy. Amberpaw, Featherpaw, and Flamepaw dashed hard on her paws. Sparklesong leapt up on the flat rock the elders sunned on and leapt off, springing high over the apprentices' heads. They scrabbled about, trying to turn around. Amberpaw crashed into Skypaw, sending them both tumbling over on the dusty ground. Flamepaw dashed after Sparklesong with Featherpaw close to his side.

Skypaw yowled with excitement and tore after them. Amberpaw was hard on her heels.

 _Is this what being a warrior feels like?_ Skypaw thought, as she leapt with her strong back legs and slammed into Sparklesong, sending them both tumbling over. _This exhilaration, this amazing feeling of being one with my Clanmates… I can't get enough!_

 **Sorry for the filler chapter guys but it had to be done!**

 **~Feathers**


	5. Chapter 5 - Bleeding Sky

About a moon later, shortly before the Gathering, Skypaw was sharing tongues with Featherpaw while Salmonpaw and Flamepaw tussled in the dirt outside the apprentices' den. Amberpaw was stretched out next to the two she-cats, basking in the sunlight. It had rained heavily two sunrises before, filling the streams back up. The fish were slowly returning, but leaf-fall would soon scare them into hiding. The RiverClan cats were trying their hardest to catch as much as they could, even resorting to land creatures like squirrels and mice, and the occasional bird, so leafbare would not be so hard.

Flamepaw let out a tiny screech as Salmonpaw latched his teeth in the other tom's ear. Flamepaw was pinned down, and began battering Salmonpaw's belly with his orange-tipped paws.

"Lemme up!" Flamepaw yowled. Salmonpaw let go and leapt off, purring in triumph. Flamepaw rolled onto his belly, rubbing his ear.

"Toms," Amberpaw sighed, shaking her head. Featherpaw and Skypaw purred in agreement.

A loud yowl suddenly sounded from outside the reeds. The sunhigh patrol burst in. Graymist was in the lead with Minnowtail, Mintfur, and Pebblefoot behind her. Graymist's pale blue eyes were round with fear. Minnowtail's ear was torn at the top and she was limping badly, blood trailing from a bad wound in her hind leg. Mintfur was leading Pebblefoot with his tail across the tom's shoulders. Mintfur's normally sleek pelt was ragged and torn, smeared with blood and mud. Pebblefoot's eyes were shut tight, blood trailing from a long scratch across his face and dripping into his eyes.

"I can't see!" he was wailing. "I can't see!"

"Get Heatherheart and Willowshine!" Sparklesong instructed the apprentices, jumping up from the shade of some nearby reeds. Amberpaw leapt to her feet and hared off toward the medicine den. Skypaw and Featherpaw exchanged scared glances and pressed tighter together. Salmonpaw and Flamepaw sat up, backs rigid and fur bristling. Tawnytalon and Rushsplash poked their heads out of the warriors' den, startled by the sudden commotion. Creamfeather and Duskfur burst out of the nursery, startled by Pebblefoot's wailing.

"Two big dog foxes near the horseplace," Graymist gasped out, her chest heaving. "They attacked us when we were patrolling. We barely managed to fight them off."

Heatherheart and Willowshine burst from their den and raced across the clearing with Amberpaw hard on their heels. Mistystar pulled herself out of her den, her ears pricked as she bounded toward the wounded cats.

"Is Pebblefoot the worst hurt?" Willowshine demanded.

"I can't walk on my hind leg," Minnowtail meowed, twisting to lick at it.

"I'm missing some fur and my ear is torn," Mintfur replied.

"I'm just scratched a bit and the fox got my scruff," Graymist explained.

"I c-can't see!" Pebblefoot stammered overtop of Graymist, sinking to the ground and trembling. "W-Willowshine, am I going blind?"

"I won't know until I get a better look at you," Willowshine said briskly. "Heatherheart, take Minnowtail to the den and take care of her leg first. Can you two wait?" she asked Graymist and Mintfur.

"I'm not as bad at Pebblefoot," Mintfur said strongly, and Graymist mewed her agreement.

"Good." Willowshine laid her tail across Pebblefoot's shoulders. "Come to my den and I'll see what's wrong with your eyes."

The five apprentices shared scared looks. Skypaw's heart was beating hard against her ribs and fear gnawed at her belly like a clawing hunger. Mistystar appeared at the entrance to her den, crossing the clearing in a few quick bounds.

"What happened?" she demanded. As Graymist reiterated, Pebblefoot stumbled into the medicine den with Willowshine, still letting out high-pitched whimpers of pain and fear. Mistystar looked after him, deep concern in her shining blue eyes. Featherpaw was kneading the ground anxiously; all at once, she exploded into movement and pounded after Willowshine and Heatherheart.

"Featherpaw!" Skypaw cried out in surprise. "Where are you going?"

She had already disappeared into the medicine den, however, and didn't respond.

"What is that mouse-brain doing?" Salmonpaw asked, somewhat crossly. "She'll only get in the way in there."

"Let her be," a voice from behind the four apprentices murmured. They all jumped and spun to see Mistystar standing behind them, watching after Featherpaw. "She's just concerned about her mentor," she continued softly, "just as any of you would be for your mentors."

Salmonpaw stared at his paws, obviously fuming. Skypaw couldn't understand why. It wasn't like she was ignoring him. And why would he care if she was, anyway? She shook her head. Toms were weird.

 **OH NOOOOO PEBBLEFOOT**

 **No hate :3**

 **I own nothing but OCs Skypaw, Featherpaw, Flamepaw, Sparklesong, Heatherheart, and Snake. Everything else is (c) Erin Hunter**

 **Hope you enjoy my cats and kittens!**

 **~Feathers**


	6. Chapter 6 - Midnight Sky

**Sorry the last chapter was so short guys! I didn't realize how short it was until after I had already published it.**

 **I also realize that I never gave you guys descriptions of my OCs. So here's that now (better late than never, eh?)**

 **Skypaw: gray with black stripes, white belly, dark green eyes**

 **Featherpaw: light gray with slightly darker stripes, white muzzle and belly, light blue eyes**

 **Flamepaw: light gray, white belly and muzzle, orange-tipped paws, light green eyes**

 **Heatherheart: gray and white pelt with black splotches, black-tipped tail, blue eyes**

 **Creamfeather: cream and white pelt, gray-tipped tail and paws, 'sunhigh blue' eyes**

 **Tawnytalon: black pelt with brown and gray stripes, green eyes**

 **Sparklesong: thick ginger and white fur, light blue eyes**

 **Snake: black with white paws, white-tipped tail, white face, white belly (basically picture Sylvester from Sylvester and Tweety Bird), dark green eyes, blue cloth tied around neck**

 **Now! On to the story! :3**

* * *

"Is Pebblefoot going to go blind?" Flamepaw asked from where he sat with his tail curled around his paws. His voice was quiet and calm, but his eyes were big and his fur was still ruffled.

Mistystar sighed and sat down, as if she was exhausted. "I don't know, Flamepaw," she said quietly. "Heatherheart and Willowshine are doing all they can, but in the end it's up to StarClan."

Skypaw found no solace in that, and judging by the way her brother turned his attention to the dirt, he didn't either. Amberpaw stepped up to him and touched his ear with her nose.

"It'll be okay," she murmured. "I promise." Flamepaw continued to stare.

Mistystar had risen to her paws and padded away while Skypaw had watched Amberpaw and Flamepaw, so she turned to Salmonpaw. "What's up with them?" she asked, trying to joke. Salmonpaw only glared at her and stalked away, disappearing into the den with a harsh flick of his tail.

She was shocked. Why was everyone being so touchy? Her stomach was starting to hurt. Skypaw sat down with a thump and looked towards her brother. He and Amberpaw were sitting with their heads close together, meowing very softly to each other.

Standing up, she walked in a circle around the clearing. Mintfur and Graymist exited Heatherheart and Willowshine's den, smelling strongly of herbs and cobwebs. Other warriors were grooming each other, eating what was left of the fresh-kill, or discussing the fox attack with the patrol. With a soft sigh, Skypaw turned away and then slipped out the reed tunnel. She needed time to herself.

Pacing out into the damp grass, Skypaw headed towards the babbling creek that fed into the lake. A flock of late butterflies spiraled away from her paws. She found a sun-warmed, flat rock overlooking a shallow pool, padded onto the rock, and sat down with her paws at the edge. Craning her neck, she leaned over the water. Tiny minnows flitted away from her shadow. A frog jumped away, stirring up mud.

Skypaw didn't understand toms. Flamepaw wouldn't talk to her anymore; instead, he was all eyes and tail for Amberpaw, which made her mad. Amberpaw was uppity and very bossy, and as the oldest apprentice Amberpaw was sure she was the best. Skypaw was upset. She and her brother had always been close as kits—why did that have to change now?

Then there was Salmonpaw, who got his tail in a twist when Featherpaw was worried about her mentor. And then he was extremely rude to Skypaw, with no reason behind it!

 _And what about Snake?_ a voice in her head whispered.

And what _about_ Snake? Skypaw's back stiffened. She had seen the kittypet many times on some of her patrols, a faint blur of gray and blue in the distance, but had not ever called it out to any of the rest of the patrol. Ever since that day as a kit when she had gone herb-gathering, the tom's eyes and the shadows in them had always bothered her. What business did he have with a Clan cat anyway? He was just a fat, lazy kittypet, nothing more.

With a sigh, she laid down on the rock, letting the warmth seep into her tired muscles and bones. Snake was a mystery she would have to save for another day. Right now, she was exhausted. She closed her eyes…

 _…and woke up standing in a clearing with four large, towering oaks brushing the midnight sky. A full moon shone overhead, unobscured by anything in the sky. It was warm and the trees were thick with leaves in the height of greenleaf. A massive rock, scored with countless seasons of pawsteps and claw marks, stood between two of the oaks. Skypaw stood up and glanced around. This looked like the Fourtrees that the elders had described to her from the old forest. But why was she here? She had never been here; how was she able to dream of it?_

 _"Well if it isn't young Skypaw."_

 _Skypaw turned. A huge, long-furred tomcat was padding out of the underbrush. He had a nick in one ear, and his lower jaw was twisted so one of his bottom teeth stuck out over his top lip. His thick fur was a mixture of several shades of brown, and was sleekly groomed. His paws and fur swirled with starlight. His sharp, nicked ears were angled forward alertly, but his eyes were kind._

 _"Who are you?" Skypaw asked._

 _"My name is Crookedstar," the starry tomcat said. "And I have come to speak to you."_

 _"About what?"_

 _"The world is much larger than you know, little one," he said. With a purr, he sat down and tucked his tail over his paws. "Many, many, many seasons ago, this was where the Clans held their Gathering. This is the forest where the four Clans used to live. Then Twolegs came and destroyed it, and the Clans had to move."_

 _Skypaw looked up at the trees. She couldn't imagine these huge trees and that imposing stone being torn apart._

 _He blinked at her wondering expression, and continued softly. "I was born in this old forest, and I led RiverClan in this forest. I am the brother of your leader's mother."_

 _Skypaw's head spun as she tried to keep the family tree straight. She couldn't picture it._

 _"I can't reveal all right now." As soon as he had come, his outline started to fade. Skypaw's eyes widened, and she tried to call out. But her jaw was suddenly glued shut and her paws were frozen in place._

 _No! she yowled in her head. Don't go! Please!_

 _As his outline melted away, a warm breeze stirred the trees, and it carried traces of Crookedstar's voice with it, whispering softly in her ear._

 _"The feathers of the dove are soft and the flames of the sun bring life, but neither would survive without the everlasting sky, understanding and kind."_

Skypaw awoke with a jerk and a gasp. The sun had set, and the nearly full moon shone over the tops of the pine trees. She leapt to her paws. The rock under her pads was cold. How long had she been asleep?

Turning on a paw, Skypaw launched herself off the rock and hared back toward camp. Her heart was throbbing in her chest. The Clan was probably worried sick—her mother and father—her denmates—

She was almost to the reed tunnel when she barreled into a wide tabby chest.

"Skypaw!" Rushsplash gasped, covering her face and ears in licks. Grasspelt and Mintfur came out from behind him. "Where in StarClan have you _been?_ I've been worried _sick—_ wondering if the _foxes_ had gotten you—where have you _been_?"

"I-I went for a walk," she spluttered under his stream of licks, meows, and questions. She ducked out from under his tongue and rubbed her ears. "Knock it off, Rushsplash!"

"We're just glad you're safe," Grasspelt rumbled kindly. "Apprentices shouldn't wander off."

"We were on our way out to search for you," Mintfur said softly, and while his voice was calm, his twitching tail-tip showed his agitation.

Embarrassment burned under Skypaw's fur, making her skin crawl like ants. "I-I'm sorry, Rushsplash," she muttered. "I didn't mean to scare you…"

"Go back into camp," Grasspelt encouraged, touching her shoulder with his tail. "While we're out here, we may as well have a late-night hunt."

"And stay in there this time!" Rushsplash was doing his best to sound stern, but his eyes were soft, and he flicked his tail along her side as she walked past him.

Heading back through the reed tunnel with mews of farewell, she spotted Mistystar, who bounded over to her.

"It seems our lost apprentice has returned," she purred with relief. "Where were you?"

"I fell asleep by the river," she admitted shamefully, scuffing the ground with one paw. Mistystar let out a _mrrow_ of laughter.

"Haven't we all, at one time or another? Well, I believe your denmates have already eaten," she continued, like everything was normal, "but I'm sure you could see if they have anything left for you to share."

Meowing thanks, she padded exhaustedly towards the apprentices' den. She pushed in with a half-hearted meow, and it caught short in her throat.

Salmonpaw was clawing angrily at his nest, snarling at a piece of moss that wouldn't lie flat. Amberpaw and Flamepaw were sleeping nose to nose, which only succeeded in making Skypaw angrier.

"What do you want?" Salmonpaw demanded.

"Nothing from you, burr-breath," she snapped back. If he wanted to be mean, she could be mean right back.

She was more hurt and upset than angry. Why didn't any of her denmates try to look for her? Did they not are about her anymore? Or had they even cared from the beginning?

"Then leave me alone, and stop staring," Salmonpaw growled, jerking her out of her thought train. He dropped to his side with a thump, his back to her.

"Fine," she muttered, pulling out of the den. "Grumpy-scales. Who made dirt in your fresh-kill?"

Turning away from her denmates, she padded sullenly across the clearing. Creamfeather was sharing a fish with Mallownose as she approached the fresh-kill pile. Sparklesong was padding away with her plumy tail entwined in Tawnytalon's thinner one. Skypaw stared, unseeing, down at the fresh-kill pile, stocked with a few fish of different sizes, two plump voles, and a fat squirrel. Her appetite was suddenly gone.

"Is something wrong, Skypaw?" Mallownose asked gently.

She shook her head, and then wondered why. She could trust her parents. So why did Skypaw feel such a reluctance to talk to them? Her parents hadn't searched for her either. Maybe that was why.

It had been her mentor, a warrior she had spoken to twice, and Mintfur that had started to search for her. Did they actually care? Were they the only ones?

Did she matter to _no_ cat?

"I'm okay," she murmured. "Just…not very hungry, I guess."

"Are you feeling okay?" Creamfeather asked, rising to her paws.

"Just a bellyache," she lied, picking up a fish. "I'm gonna take this to Heatherheart and Willowshine," she mumbled around her mouthful. Flicking her tail in farewell, she padded disgruntledly away.


	7. Chapter 7 - Contemplative Sky

**So this chapter might be another short one (sorry guys!) because I'm trying to space out what I've written so far. Don't hate me :3**

* * *

Brushing through the medicine den overhang, Skypaw mewed a greeting. Pebblefoot was curled up in a nest, sound asleep. He had cobwebs, moss, and poultices covering one half of his face. Featherpaw was sitting over him, her tail curled around her paws, her ears pricked like she was searching for danger. She spun around as Skypaw entered.

"Who's that for?" she greeted her sister.

Skypaw set it down. "Anyone who'll eat it, I guess," she replied. "How's Pebblefoot?"

Featherpaw's eyes clouded as she turned back to her mentor. "They don't know if they'll be able to save his eye," she murmured quietly.

"What's this, what's this?" Willowshine demanded, coming forward from the back of the den. "My patient needs sleep! And how is he supposed to sleep with two apprentices in here chattering like spring starlings?"

"Don't be so grumpy, Willowshine," Heatherheart said tiredly, padding forward. "Featherpaw is worried and I'm sure Skypaw is too."

"A-Actually, I brought some fresh-kill," she meowed softly.

"Not hungry," Willowshine said curtly, turning away and sniffing at Pebblefoot's face. "Save it for other cats."

"Thank you, Skypaw," Heatherheart murmured kindly, ignoring her mentor, "but we've already eaten. Flamepaw and Amberpaw brought us some fresh-kill earlier. You're probably tired. Why don't you go get some rest? Or if you don't want to return to your den," she added, seeing Skypaw's silent snarl of disgust at the thought of going back to the apprentices' den, "you could see if you could get Featherpaw to eat any."

"I'll do that," Skypaw said with a sigh. Her sister was stubborn, more so than she, and she didn't know how fruitful her attempts would be.

"Hey Featherpaw," she said, padding up to her sister and sitting beside her. "You should get some rest. Pebblefoot's asleep, and Willowshine and Heatherheart can watch him. It won't do him any good to tire yourself out."

"I'm not tired," she grumbled, but Skypaw could see the exhaustion in her eyes, and wondered how long her sister had been sitting like this.

Skypaw stood up again and began collecting reeds and moss from around the den, shaping them into a makeshift nest next to Pebblefoot. Featherpaw watched her with tired curiosity. Once the nest was done, Skypaw patted it down and flicked her tail at it, motioning at her sister.

With no further objection, Featherpaw slid into the next, and, after a moment, dragged the fish after her. Skypaw settled down beside her and began grooming her dusty fur, cleaning the bits of dirt and herbs from the thick leaf-fall coat. Featherpaw stared at the fish for a few more heartbeats before Skypaw nudged her side, and she began to nibble at the side.

Once her fur was freshly groomed, Skypaw tucked some moss around her sister. Featherpaw turned away from the half-eaten fish and curled up without a word. Skypaw laid down and finished off the rest of the fish—her belly still ached but she knew that someone had to eat the fish, or it would just rot and make the den smell bad. Once the fish was done, Skypaw poked together some of the leftover reeds and moss for her to lay on. It wasn't as comfortable as her heron-feather-lined nest in the apprentices' den, but it would do.

Settling down, Skypaw rested her head on her paws and her tail over her nose. But she couldn't stop thinking about Crookedstar's prophecy. _If it even_ is _a prophecy,_ she thought. _Prophecies are for leaders and medicine cats, not apprentices like me._

Feathers, flames, and sky. Maybe that was her and her siblings? But what was the deal with the sun and the dove? Skypaw rolled over. She considered asking Heatherheart—she was, in fact, a medicine cat, and she had lots of experience with StarClan.

Then she remembered something Crookedstar had said.

 _"I am the brother of your leader's mother."_

Maybe she should ask Mistystar. After all, she was related to Crookedstar.

Skypaw made up her mind to speak to Mistystar in the morning.

Skypaw must have fallen asleep at some point, because she awoke to warm sunlight pooling through the reeds. Barely after sunhigh, the air was already thick, promising another sweltering day. Featherpaw was still sound asleep; a late, lingering butterfly was fluttering its wings while perched on her sister's tail. Pebblefoot was rousing, blinking his one clear eye and yawning as he scratched his ear with a hind leg.

"How do you feel?" Skypaw asked him.

Pebblefoot hesitated, and then heaved a sigh. He leaned over the small freshwater pool beside his nest, staring at his reflection. He was silent for a long time.

"You know," he finally murmured, "I hoped it had all been a dream. I heard Heatherheart and Willowshine talking last night—they thought I was asleep—and…" He took a shuddering breath and had to turn his head away. "They don't know if they can save my sight."

Skypaw's heart ached for the elderly warrior. She knew he was close to retiring, and assumed that Featherpaw would be his last apprentice.

As if he had read her mind, Pebblefoot turned his attention to Featherpaw, still breathing softly. "Don't tell Featherpaw. I'd like to tell her myself. I don't want to upset her more than she already is. She needs to focus on her training, and worrying over me won't help her."

Skypaw nodded, unsure what to say.

Fortunately, the reeds swished and Mistystar's mew sounded just before she appeared, blinking in the dimly lit den. Pebblefoot turned to see her.

"Ah, Skypaw, Rushsplash is looking for you," she said briskly. "You might want to go find him; he's leading a hunting patrol."

"Yes, Mistystar," Skypaw said, rising to her paws, stretching and yawning hugely. Her belly rumbled loudly and her fur burned as she flinched.

Mistystar purred. "There might be something left on the fresh-kill pile, if Rushsplash will let you eat before you leave. You should go now though."

"Yes Mistystar!" she called, scampering out of the medicine den.

The clearing was abuzz with life. The elders were sunning themselves out by the tiny stream that ran past the camp, where the kits played and learned to swim. Rushsplash, Hollowfeather, and Mossypelt were standing near the reeds towards the entrance to the camp, meowing to each other softly. Creamfeather and Duskfur were sharing tongues, while Tawnytalon rolled in the dirt. The fresh0-kill pile was empty; with an inward sigh, she accepted the fact that she would have to eat after the rest of the Clan was fed by their patrol. Skypaw bounded across the clearing to her mentor. He turned his kind gaze on her.

"I trust you slept well in the medicine den. Ready for some hunting?" he meowed. When she nodded eagerly, he continued: "We're just waiting on Mistystar, and then we can go."

"Is she coming with us on patrol?" Skypaw asked, her heart suddenly pounding. Her leader was coming, and would be watching her hunting? What if this was some sort of assessment? Why wouldn't Rushsplash have warned her? A million thoughts buzzed through her mind like a swarm of angry bees.

Rushsplash opened his mouth to reply; before he could say anything, however, a sudden yowl echoed from the medicine den.

"But I don't _want_ another mentor!"


	8. Chapter 8 - Gentle Sky

**This chapter will be a little bit longer :3**

 **Seriously, though, guys. Is anyone even reading this story? Or am I wasting my time? Please PM me or leave a review, it can be blank even, if you are reading this. I just don't feel like it's very popular, and I don't really see the point in continuing to publish an unpopular story.**

* * *

Heads turned from all over the camp, ears pricking. The outburst had sounded like Featherpaw.

"Now, Featherpaw." That was Pebblefoot's tired meow.

"No!" Featherpaw yowled. The reeds shivered. "Pebblefoot is _my_ mentor! I don't _want_ anyone else!"

"Featherpaw!" Mistystar's yelp of surprise preceded Featherpaw bursting from the medicine den and haring across the clearing. Mossypelt had to leap backwards to avoid getting barreled over as Featherpaw charged out of the camp, breathing hard.

"Featherpaw!" Hollowfeather cried after her. Mossypelt, bristling in surprise, turned towards the medicine den, where Mistystar was padding out tiredly, her head and tail bowed.

Skypaw cast a desperate look at her mentor. Someone had to go after her sister. Rushsplash barely glanced at her before Skypaw took off as well. The reeds whispered past her as she flew through them, her paws thrumming against the ground. Featherpaw's scent was mixed with sharp tangs of fear and sadness. Skypaw slowed to a trot, her nose to the ground as she desperately followed her sister's scent trail.

When she found Featherpaw, she was standing over a tiny bush, thick with late-greenleaf leaves. Growling angrily, she was clawing viscously at the branches. Shredded leaves and tiny branches flew from her claws, and her lip was curled back in an evil snarl.

Skypaw approached cautiously. "Featherpaw?"

"It's not fair!" Featherpaw growled. Another swipe sent a clump of leaves fluttering towards Skypaw. "I don't want another mentor! Mistystar is trying to push me off on another cat because Pebblefoot is hurt. He'll get better! Willowshine and Heatherheart will _make_ him get better! I don't need another mentor!" She swiped again. This time, a branch cut her pad, and the air thickened with the tang of blood. Featherpaw flicked her paw irritably and sat down with a thump.

Skypaw's heart tore for her poor sister. She knew she didn't want to accept the fact that she would have to change mentors, since they'd only been apprentices for less than a moon. It was almost unheard of, apprentices changing mentors, or even mentors changing apprentices.

"Featherpaw," Skypaw repeated softly. "They don't know if they'll be able to save his sight. A half-blind cat can't train an apprentice."

"Why not? It isn't fair!" Featherpaw wailed. She now sounded more upset than angry. "I have two good eyes, and Pebblefoot has one! We can still see just like any other cat!"

"Featherpaw." That was a new voice. Skypaw turned her head to see Mistystar emerging from the bracken. Featherpaw turned her gaze away.

"I don't want to talk to you," she snapped. Skypaw winced; no cat should speak to the Clan leader like that. She cast a scared look at Mistystar.

The blue-gray she-cat didn't look angry. She sat down a respectful distance away from Featherpaw and tucked her tail over her wide paws. "Featherpaw, I know how hard this is for you to hear. I know how close you and Pebblefoot are. But Heatherheart and Willowshine can only do so much, and if it is StarClan's wishes, even our medicine cats cannot do anything."

Featherpaw didn't respond, but her tail tip flicked in annoyance.

Mistystar was quiet for a moment, and then sighed lightly. "I must speak with my senior warriors," she said, "but I might have an idea on how we can help Pebblefoot. But it requires your cooperation, Featherpaw. Are you listening?"

Featherpaw hesitated, and then raised her head and looked over at Mistystar. Her eyes were dull and defeated. "Yes," she mumbled.

"There is another cat in another Clan who has the same handicap as Pebblefoot will," she explained. "If she is willing, she can help Pebblefoot, but until then, you must take another mentor for a short while until Pebblefoot is able to resume his warrior duties."

Featherpaw sighed and then pushed herself to her feet. Skypaw thought Mistystar's plan was extremely kind, if not slightly confusing. Where would there be another half-blind cat? In which Clan? Would she even be willing to help? Was she an elder cat? Her mind spun.

"Alright, Mistystar," she murmured. Her gray and white head was bowed.

"Good." Mistystar rose and padded towards Featherpaw, touching her nose affectionately to the younger cat's ear. "Now, would you like to join Rushsplash's hunting patrol?"

When Featherpaw hesitated, Skypaw padded up to her litter-sister and headbutted her shoulder affectionately. "You can't sit around like a bump on a frog all day," Skypaw teased. "Pebblefoot wouldn't let you do that."

Featherpaw's eyes flashed, but she relaxed and nodded to her sister. Mistystar purred and touched Skypaw's flank with her tail.

"Thank you," she murmured before turning and heading back towards camp.

Featherpaw examined her pad where the branch had cut it and delivered a few swift licks. "The bleeding already stopped," she said. "I'll be okay."

"Let's have Heatherheart and Willowshine look at it when we get back to camp anyway," Skypaw said, glad that her sister had calmed down.

Rushsplash, Hollowfeather, and Mossypelt emerged from the reeds. "Let's go hunting before the sun gets any higher," Rushsplash said briskly. "We'll head down to the stream and see what kind of things we can fish out." As Skypaw's belly rumbled loudly again, Rushsplash let out an amused _mrrow_.

"Remember, the Clan gets fed first," Hollowfeather reminded her kindly. Skypaw and Featherpaw both nodded eagerly.

* * *

"Let all cats old enough to swim gather here below the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

Mistystar's yowl rang out three days later, on the day of the Gathering. Skypaw rose and stretched from where she was sitting with Featherpaw and Amberpaw. Salmonpaw and Flamepaw emerged from the elder's den, scraps of dry moss clinging to their pelts. Featherpaw had been training with Rushsplash and Skypaw for the past three days, until Mistystar came to a decision on Pebblefoot's status. The late evening sun was falling in the sky, and Skypaw assumed she would be calling out the cats for the Gathering soon.

Heatherheart and Willowshine came out of the medicine den, with Heatherheart's tail across Pebblefoot's shoulders. The elderly tom had taken his first venture out of the medicine den the morning of the day before, and was still getting used to walking without one field of vision. He sat down by the entrance to the den with Heatherheart, while Willowshine headed for the base of the Highrock. She and Mistystar exchanged looks. The cobwebs and poultice over Pebblefoot's face looked new, like Willowshine had just replaced it.

Once every cat was settled, Mistystar began speaking. "You all know the tragedy of what happened to Pebblefoot. Now, it's with great sorrow that I announce that, despite their best efforts, Heatherheart and Willowshine were unable to save Pebblefoot's sight. He will remain permanently blind in one eye."

Featherpaw's shoulders fell and she bowed her head. Skypaw knew she had been hoping against hope that her mentor would be okay. She pressed comfortingly against her sister.

To the rest of the Clan, it wasn't much of a surprise; however, many sorrowful meows spread through the camp. Skypaw craned to see Pebblefoot; his head was turned away and dropped so he was watching the ground in shame.

"However, this does not mean that he must retire," Mistystar continued, waving her tail for silence. "You all know of Brightheart of ThunderClan, who continues her warrior duties with only one eye."

 _Brightheart?_ Skypaw was confused, and she cast a look at the other apprentices. They all looked equally as puzzled as she was. But much of the Clan was nodding and purring happily at her name.

"I have decided, after many discussions with my senior warriors, that I will ask Bramblestar to let Brightheart stay with us for a short while and help Pebblefoot with his recovery," Mistystar announced.

There was little noise for a while, before Robinwing jumped to his feet. He was a beautiful tortoiseshell and white tom with wide paws. He was obviously fired up.

"Let a member of a rival Clan stay here?" he echoed in disbelief. "So soon after the Great Battle? Medicine cats and leaders _visiting_ are one thing, but some random warrior eating our prey and sleeping in our dens, and hearing all of our Clan secrets?"

"What secrets, Robinwing?" Icewing, a pure-white she-cat, demanded. "How many fish we catch? That sometimes we eat frogs? That we use heron feathers in our nests?"

Robinwing bristled.

Dapplenose of the elders, a mottled gray she-cat with a muzzle whitened with age, rose stiffly to her paws. "Brightheart is a kind and gentle soul," she rasped, causing Robinwing to spin around and look at her. "She helped Pouncetail and I on the Great Journey, and always thinks of other cats before herself. She has trained as a medicine cat and a warrior, and has been a mother. I can think of no better cat."

Flamepaw and Salmonpaw crept over to where the three she-cat apprentices were sitting. "Have any of you heard of this Brightheart cat?" Flamepaw asked.

"Never," Amberpaw said, and Skypaw shook her head.

"I think the elders spoke about her before, during their story about Tigerstar in the old forest," Featherpaw said slowly, "but I don't know."

"If what everyone says is true, she's going to be really cool to meet," Salmonpaw said, who was still listening to the meeting.

"Robinwing, stop!" Mistystar's yowl echoed over the apprentices. Skypaw bolted upright. Robinwing and Icewing were nose-to-nose, both bristling and growling. "If you can't shape up," she continued, "you won't be _going_ to the Gathering."

Robinwing let out one final growl and stomped to the back of the clearing, sitting down with a thump. Icewing sat down and began grooming her ruffled fur, but she obviously wasn't happy.

"I'll bring it up at the Gathering tonight," Mistystar repeated. "Now—the cats who will be attending the Gathering. Sparklesong, Willowshine, Robinwing, Graymist, Hollowfeather, Rushsplash, Tawnytalon, Troutstream, Skypaw, Featherpaw, Flamepaw, and Pouncetail. Get your rest; we leave at moonrise." With that, Mistystar jumped down, and the cats dispersed.


	9. Chapter 9 - Omniscient Sky

**Another short chapter... *sigh* Oh well! Hope you guys don't resent me too much! Hahaha...haha...ha... Don't hate me.**

* * *

The warriors she named headed into the den, already yawning.

Dapplenose touched noses with Pouncetail, another elder, purring. "Say hello to Purdy, Whitewater, and Tornear for me," she rasped. Pouncetail purred rustily.

"You guys are going to the Gathering!" Amberpaw said, leaping to her paws and rushing over to touch noses with Flamepaw. "So lucky!"

Skypaw's heart was pounding too hard to let her worry about her brother and Amberpaw. She was going to the Gathering! The place where all four Clans met in peace and shared tongues! She wondered how many other apprentices would be there. Her claws worked eagerly in the dirt.

"You guys are so lucky!" Salmonpaw echoed. "If you see Furzepaw and Whiskerpaw from WindClan, tell them hi from me!"

Mallownose and Creamfeather padded up to the group of apprentices. Mallownose was purring with delight as Creamfeather began grooming Featherpaw's head.

"So our kits are going to the Gathering," Mallownose purred, nuzzling Skypaw so hard she almost fell over. She purred too. "There's nothing like it, you'll see."

"You three _must_ look your best." Creamfeather turned on Skypaw as Featherpaw ducked away and scampered to a safe distance. Skypaw darted behind her father where Creamfeather couldn't get to her.

"Such loving parents," Heatherheart purred as she came up and touched noses with her sister. Mallownose nudged Skypaw playfully, and she darted away to avoid him.

"Why aren't you going?" Skypaw asked Heatherheart, glancing up at her.

"Someone must stay with Pebblefoot," she replied. "You three should get some sleep before the big journey tonight. You'll need your energy."

With a final farewell, Skypaw, Featherpaw, and Flamepaw trotted off to the apprentice den, while Salmonpaw and Amberpaw went to find their mentors. Mallownose padded away, and Skypaw heard hushed whispers coming from her mother and her mother's sister. She turned around and saw them padding away, heads close together. Suddenly remembering her eavesdropped conversation from when she was a kit, Skypaw suddenly had the urge to follow them.

Featherpaw had stopped too; Flamepaw disappeared into the den.

"You okay?" she asked Skypaw.

Thinking quickly, Skypaw mewed, "Uh—I have to go make dirt. I'll be back."

Featherpaw shrugged and padded away. Skypaw headed in the general direction of the dirt-place, then plunged into the reeds, sliding into the tiny stream outside the camp. Creamfeather and Heatherheart headed out of the camp, following the water currents. Skypaw let the water carry her, slinking like a snake through the shallower parts. Once the little stream flowed into the bigger one, she dove underwater and swam to the opposite bank, resurfacing slowly to make no noise.

Creamfeather and Heatherheart were further downstream, stopping on a flat rock hanging over the river. Taking in a big breath of air, Skypaw slid back underwater and swam with the current until she was underneath the rock before resurfacing again. The two she-cats' meows echoed around her.

"—went to find some catmint today, and I saw Snake again," Heatherheart was saying.

 _There's that Snake cat again,_ Skypaw thought. A frog floated by her, making tiny ripples in the water as it swam. _Why should Creamfeather care?_

"How is he?" Creamfeather asked.

"He asked after the kits," the medicine cat replied. "And he misses you."

"I've been so busy," Creamfeather sighed, "I haven't been able to slip out and see him since…" Her voice trailed off.

 _Since what?_ Skypaw wanted to yowl.

"Maybe that's for the better," Heatherheart insisted. There was a shuffling noise on top of the rock, like one of the queens had shifted positions. "Your kits need you. Mallownose needs you. Snake understands that."

"Does he really, though?" Creamfeather murmured. "I don't want him to resent me for…all of this."

"He doesn't resent you," Heatherheart said. "He cares about you a lot, Creamfeather. You _and_ the kits. And he knows it's best for the kits to be raised without him."

Creamfeather didn't reply.

"Come on," Heatherheart urged, and there were more sounds of movement. "Let's head back to camp. I have to check on Pebblefoot."

There were pawsteps, and then they retreated. The scent of the two queens gradually faded. Now somewhat annoyed, Skypaw hauled herself out of the river and shook the water out of her fur. She sat down and began to groom her pelt, turning their conversation over and over in her mind.

Why would Snake care so much about Creamfeather and her kits? And what did Heatherheart mean, 'raised without him'?

Skypaw made up her mind about something else, then. She was going to go find Snake, and demand some answers.


	10. Chapter 10 - Gathering Sky

**Read and Review my Lovelies!**

Mistystar was in the lead as the RiverClan patrol headed to the island. Skypaw was still bothered by many things—Crookedstar's 'prophecy', Heatherheart and Creamfeather and Snake—but it was all dwarfed by her excitement for the Gathering. She trotted along beside Featherpaw and Flamepaw, who were chattering like starlings.

Featherpaw was obviously feeling better after her nap, because her eyes were shining and she couldn't stop talking. Flamepaw's eyes were brimming with excitement, and his tail was flicking happily. Skypaw, however, was exhausted, but adrenaline lent her paws energy.

Rushsplash pulled up beside Skypaw. "Are you excited for your first Gathering?" he asked, his eyes bright. "I still remember my first Gathering," he continued. "I was so excited I fell off of the tree-bridge and Mistystar had to fish me out!" He purred with the memory. Skypaw forced a purr too.

She was too tired to be looking forward to it as much as she should have been.

The RiverClan patrol reached the lake and slowed their pace. Skypaw could see the island and the tree-bridge, and her heart began to pound again. Featherpaw and Flamepaw darted ahead of the rest of the patrol, and Skypaw shot after them. The cool night air mixed with the wet tang of the lake woke her up as she ran.

"Come back!" Mistystar called. They were nearly to the tree-bridge, but they skidded to a stop and turned.

"Slow-slugs," Featherpaw joked. Flamepaw meowed his agreement. A strange, murky smell suddenly hit Skypaw like a tree branch and she wrinkled her nose. Flamepaw and Featherpaw cut off their purrs and snorted as they smelled it too.

"What's that stinky smell?" Flamepaw asked, startled. Featherpaw stuck out her tongue. Skypaw thought it smelled like the other side of the stream, when the wind blew in the right direction.

As Mistystar and the rest of the patrol approached, Sparklesong put her nose to the air. "Smells like ShadowClan is coming," she meowed to Mistystar. The blue-furred leader nodded.

 _That's ShadowClan?_ Skypaw thought. "Why are they on our territory?" she asked Mistystar.

"Well, that's how they get to the island for the Gathering." It was Sparklesong who replied. "The land three fox-lengths from the water is a safe place for cats traveling around the lake."

Skypaw tipped her head. Flamepaw and Featherpaw were staring behind the patrol, and slowly but surely, a large group of cats was coming into view, with a massive white tom with jet-black paws at the head. Mistystar turned her head over her shoulder.

"Come on, RiverClan," she called. "We can see ShadowClan on the island!"

When they reached the tree-bridge, the senior warriors went across first. Mistystar and Sparklesong were at the head. Rushsplash and Graymist hung back with the three new apprentices as Pouncetail ambled across the bridge.

"You first, Flamepaw," Graymist instructed. "Just put one paw in front of the other. I'll be right behind you."

Suddenly looking anxious, Flamepaw hesitated. "What if I fall in?"

"Every apprentice falls in once or twice," Graymist reassured him. "But you have the upper paw —you can swim."

Not looking convinced, Flamepaw clambered up the tree and began to inch along it. Graymist leapt up behind him and padded along, every now and then giving words of encouragement.

"You next," Rushsplash said, nudging Skypaw's shoulder with his nose. Now that she had seen Flamepaw do it, she was more confident, and leapt up in one bound. But the wood was slick and her paws shot out from under her. She fell and her chin banged against the wood, and she yelped.

"Are you alright?" Rushsplash jumped up beside her and helped her up with his teeth in her scruff. Her jaw throbbed softly, but it felt fine. Nodding silently, she continued to put one foot right in front of the other. She felt the tree bounce as Featherpaw leapt up behind her.

"Greetings, Blackstar."

Skypaw looked over her shoulder. The ShadowClan patrol had caught up to them. The huge white tom was gazing up at Rushsplash; Skypaw assumed this was Blackstar. Featherpaw had her eyes screwed shut and her tail was bristled out as she clung to the tree.

"Rushsplash," Blackstar said, dipping his head respectfully. "Glad to see you're doing well."

"And you as well," Rushsplash returned. "Pardon the holdup, these two are new apprentices, and this is their first Gathering. They're not comfortable with the tree-bridge yet."

Blackstar nodded. "Take your time," he said coolly. The ShadowClan patrol milled around impatiently behind him.

Skypaw turned her attention back towards the island. She continued across, slowly but surely making progress. Then the tree bounced wildly and there was a yowl, cut off by a massive splash. She spun around. Featherpaw was gone. Rushsplash spun around from where he was still taking with Blackstar.

"Featherpaw!" Skypaw cried. Rushsplash bounded forward, ready to fish her out, but a ShadowClan cat was faster. A lithe, small tabby tom rushed past Rushsplash and flew into the water. His tiny body barely made a splash as he dove in.

"Littlecloud!" Blackstar yowled. They both resurfaced, Featherpaw gasping and paddling madly, and Littlecloud with his teeth caught in her scruff, keeping her head above water. Rushsplash reached down and grabbed Featherpaw's scruff from Littlecloud, while Blackstar helped up the tiny tabby. Featherpaw crouched on the tree-bridge, gasping in shock, her eyes wide in her head and her fur bristling. Littlecloud shook his pelt out.

"Are you okay?" he asked Featherpaw, gently touching her ear with his nose. She nodded mutely. Skypaw let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"Let's congregate across the bridge!" a ShadowClan cat yowled from the back of the group. "We're wasting moonlight!"

Rushsplash gently urged Skypaw and Featherpaw the rest of the way across the bridge, and Skypaw was all too happy to get her paws back on solid dirt. Featherpaw leapt down next to Skypaw, then Rushsplash, Littlecloud, Blackstar, and the rest of ShadowClan.

The island smelled of far too many cats to keep them all straight. Skypaw wrinkled her nose as a ShadowClan tom brushed past her, his pelt smelling of damp, musty pine needles and undergrowth.

"Are you ready?" Rushsplash asked the two apprentices.

"Let's go," Featherpaw said with a purr, obviously feeling better after her plunge into the lake. Her fur was sticking up in untidy clumps, and Skypaw smoothed down a particularly sticky-up bit on her shoulder.

"You look like you got dragged backward through the reeds," Rushsplash teased, flicking Featherpaw's ear with his tail. Embarrassed, she gave her chest fur a few swift licks while Skypaw patted down a few more bits with her paws.

By the time she had recovered, Rushsplash lead the way into the clearing. Skypaw couldn't believe her eyes.

There were more cats than all of RiverClan combined twice. Cats from every Clan were milling about, sharing tongues and purring. Skypaw's heart began to throb. Featherpaw's eyes were wide in her head.

"There you are, Rushsplash!"

The two she-cats and the warrior looked over to see a golden brown tabby tom trotting over to them, his eyes bright.

"Greetings, Brackenfur!" Rushsplash purred as the two toms touched noses. "Is the prey running well?"

"It is," he replied. "Who are these two?" he asked, turning his gaze to Featherpaw and Skypaw. "Surely they aren't your _kits_ ," he teased with a friendly meow.

"Not quite," Rushsplash returned. "Brackenfur, this is my apprentice and her sister, Skypaw and Featherpaw. This is Brackenfur. He and I made the journey to the lake together."

The apprentices, unsure of what to say and somewhat overwhelmed, only nodded. Brackenfur purred.

"I remember my first Gathering," he reminisced. "It's a lot to take in isn't it?"

"It is," Skypaw nodded as soon as Featherpaw burst out, "Where are you from?"

Then she ducked her head, obviously embarrassed.

"I'm from ThunderClan," Brackenfur said, amused. "Why don't you two find some other apprentices to meet? I'm sure sitting here listening to two older warriors chatting about prey isn't going to interest you."

"There's your brother," Rushsplash said, nodding behind Brackenfur. Skypaw and Featherpaw craned to see behind the tabby's wide shoulders.

Flamepaw was a few tail-lengths away, speaking excitedly to two WindClan toms; Skypaw assumed they were Whiskerpaw and Furzepaw. _At least he's hitting it off_ , Skypaw thought. Featherpaw nudged her.

"Come on, let's go bother him," Featherpaw said, and they headed over to speak with the other apprentices.


	11. Chapter 11 - Alabaster Sky

They had barely introduced themselves when a yowl sounded from one of the trees. The three siblings jerked their heads up. Mistystar and Blackstar stood atop a low-hanging branch on a tree, flanked by a large, dark brown tabby tom and a slimmer tabby.

"Who's that, by Blackstar?" Featherpaw whispered.

"That's Bramblestar and Onestar," Whiskerpaw whispered back. "ThunderClan and WindClan's leaders."

"I'll speak first," Blackstar said.

Skypaw couldn't keep much of what the leaders said straight, especially since Flamepaw and Furzepaw kept whispering. But when Mistystar stepped forward, Skypaw pricked her ears. Was she going to talk about Pebblefoot?

"The fish have returned to the streams after a long, hot greenleaf," she announced. "And we have three new apprentices—Skypaw, Flamepaw, and Featherpaw."

Skypaw's ears flattened as all the cats turned to her and her littermates, and their names were yowled to the sky. No cat told her _that_ was going to happen!

Fortunately, their gazes turned away before too long, and Mistystar resumed her report. "One of our warriors, Pebblefoot, fought off a big dog fox on our territory a few sunrises ago." She turned to Onestar. "It went over your border, so keep an eye out."

"That's just what we need," Onestar muttered dryly, but nodded his head in thanks.

"Unfortunately, I regret to bring bad news." Mistystar dipped her head. "Pebblefoot was severely injured in the fight, and he has lost the use of one eye."

Sympathetic and surprised murmurs spread through the clearing. Featherpaw's eyes darkened. Skypaw pressed reassuringly against her side.

"However, I see no reason for him to retire." Here, Mistystar turned to Bramblestar. "You have a warrior with impaired sight. I would ask of you, may Brightheart stay in our camp for a while to help Pebblefoot recover?"

Bramblestar looked at her thoughtfully. Before he could say anything, there was a gentle mew from the base of the tree.

"Bramblestar? May…May I speak?"

He glanced down. "Of course, Brightheart."

 _Where is she?_ Skypaw reared up on her hind legs, straining to see over the cats much bigger than she. A snow-white she-cat was standing at the base of the tree, looking up at the leaders. To Skypaw, she looked perfectly normal.

"How is _she_ viscously maimed and half-blind?" Flamepaw muttered, earning him a swift cuff around the ear from a WindClan elder.

"Show some respect, young'un," he growled. "Brightheart is a very kind, gentle she-cat who went through a lot as a kit. You should be glad to have this chance to get to know her."

"…Pebblefoot and I made the Great Journey together," she was meowing. "He and I fought side-by-side in the Great Battle. I would be honored to help in any way I can, Mistystar."

"How long will she be staying, though?" Blackstar growled. "I don't want ThunderClan and RiverClan traipsing through my property, scaring off all our prey, more than is necessary."

"If it's okay with you, Bramblestar," Brightheart continued, "I can journey home with RiverClan tonight."

"No, Brightheart," Bramblestar said. "We need to return home so you can speak with Leafpool and Jayfeather."

"I'm blind but I'm not deaf!" A silvery tom growled from where he sat with Littlecloud, Willowshine, and another she-cat Skypaw didn't know.

"I know, Jayfeather," Bramblestar pacified him. "Mistystar"—he turned his bright amber gaze to her— "in three sunrises, Brightheart can come to your camp."

"I will send a patrol to fetch her," Mistystar said, nodding.

"And when will she go back?" Blackstar demanded.

"Keep your fur on, Blackstar," Onestar, who had sat down and begun licking his paws, meowed. "No one is going to steal your prey."

He hissed angrily.

"How about we come back together at the next Gathering, and speak about Pebblefoot's condition then," Bramblestar suggested. "He is going to have to relearn how to hunt and fight, like any apprentice would."

"He's my mentor, though," Featherpaw whispered, so faintly that Skypaw barely caught it. "What will I do when my mentor _has_ a mentor?"

Skypaw shared a worried look with Flamepaw. Featherpaw had obviously not yet come to terms with the fact that she would have to have another mentor.

When the she-cat and tom turned their attention back to the tree, Brightheart had turned away from the oak—and Skypaw suddenly saw her injuries.

One side of her face, back down her jaw and up to her ear, was scarred so badly no fur had grown back. One ear was shredded, several nicks torn into it. Part of her top lip on that side was scarred. Flamepaw gasped in horror.

"Great StarClan," Skypaw breathed. Featherpaw whimpered.

"Is Pebblefoot going to look like that?" she squeaked. Skypaw didn't answer. Brightheart returned to sit next to a thick-furred white tom, who gently licked the side of her face. Was that her mate? She must have been a beautiful cat once.

"That's Cloudtail," Furzepaw said. "He became her mate when they were both apprentices, right after her incident. Bluestar—that was the leader before Firestar, who was the leader before Bramblestar—renamed her Lostface, but Firestar renamed her Brightheart."

"Lostface!" Flamepaw gasped. "What an awful thing to do!"

Furzepaw shrugged. "ThunderClan is weird."


	12. Chapter 12 - Clearing Sky

**Here's a really nice long chapter for you guys to make up for the past few chapters being pretty short. Have fun!**

By the time the RiverClan cats returned to the camp, most of the Clan was already asleep. Salmonpaw and Amberpaw seemed to be sound asleep, but when Flamepaw stepped over Skypaw's nest to reach his beside Amberpaw, she raised her head and Salmonpaw yawned.

"How was the Gathering?" she meowed sleepily.

Skypaw's head was spinning with exhaustion; she merely shook her head and sank into her nest.

"I'm sure you're tired." Salmonpaw sounded somewhat bitter. Skypaw looked over at him and saw his bright eyes watching Featherpaw as she turned in circles in her nest beside Skypaw. When he saw Skypaw watching, he rolled over and curled up tightly.

As Flamepaw and Amberpaw curled up together, Skypaw turned to Featherpaw, who was kneading the heron feathers in her nest. "I think Salmonpaw is kind of lonely," she whispered. Featherpaw shrugged.

"He's just being a grumpy badger," Featherpaw murmured back, her eyes already closed. "Don't worry about him." Not long after that statement, her breathing became deep and even, and Skypaw figured she was asleep.

Even for how exhausted Skypaw was, it took a while before she fell asleep.

* * *

Three sunrises later, Mossytail, Graymist, Tawnytalon, Flamepaw, and Sparklesong, on a border patrol, escorted the ThunderClan patrol into the camp. It was a small patrol—Brightheart, the gray tom named Jayfeather, and a small brown tabby she-cat with a white chest and paws. Skypaw, who had just returned from a hunting patrol with Featherpaw, Rushsplash, and Hollowfeather, turned towards the reed barrier with her fat fish still in her mouth. Featherpaw was licking her paws, getting the feathers from between her claws, her thrush laying on the fresh-kill pile.

Mistystar emerged from her den to greet the patrol. Tawnytalon approached from behind the two apprentices.

"That's a nice fish," he commented to Skypaw. Her tail waved happily. "Why not offer it to one of the medicine cats?"

"Who's the one beside Jayfeather?" Featherpaw asked.

"That's Leafpool," Tawnytalon said. Skypaw nodded and approached the patrol shyly. Jayfeather spun to focus his sightless blue eyes on her, and she stopped dead. His shoulders began to bristle slightly.

"Who's that?" he demanded. Leafpool glanced over.

Skypaw put the fish down and dipped her head respectfully. "My name's Skypaw," she said nervously. "I—I just thought you might be tired and would like to eat before you went home."

Jayfeather let his fur lie flat after a moment, and turned away. "No thanks," he said. Leafpool came over to the tiny apprentice and touched noses with her.

"Thank you," she murmured, "but we ate before we came. Pay no attention to Jayfeather; he's just a grumpy old badger today."

He scoffed.

Leafpool turned when Mistystar meowed her name.

"If you would like to see Brightheart to the warriors' den before you leave...?" she offered. Brightheart, though, shook her head.

"You two go on, you'll won't be back until nightfall already," she meowed. Skypaw forced herself not to flinch at the she-cat's maimed face.

"Great, let's go home," Jayfeather muttered.

"Where are Willowshine and Heatherheart?" Leafpool asked overtop of the pale gray tom. He growled.

"They're out herb collecting," Featherpaw said from behind Skypaw. "You just missed them."

Jayfeather was already taking a few steps towards the reed barrier. "Well, have fun, Brightheart, so sorry we missed Willowshine, we'll see you in a moon, let's go, Leafpool, we're wasting sunlight."

Leafpool cast him a withering look. "I apologize for his rudeness, Mistystar," she meowed. She merely purred.

"I understand, all toms have their days," she laughed fondly. Leafpool purred and, after touching noses with Brightheart in farewell, followed Jayfeather out through the reeds. Brightheart then turned to Skypaw. She couldn't help her ears flattening in surprise as she saw the she-cat from straight on.

"Hello, little one," she purred. "You're Skypaw?"

She nodded mutely. Brightheart's kind gaze flickered for a moment before she sat down.

"I know my face is a little much to take in right now," she murmured. "It took me a while to get used to it myself."

"Furzepaw said you were attacked by dogs?" Featherpaw, who had crept silently up beside Skypaw, inquired timidly.

"When I was a very young cat," Brightheart said, nodding. "If you want, I can tell you kits the story over this fish. Of course"—she looked over to Tawnytalon, who was watching the two younger cats with amusement—"only if your mentors don't have anything else for you to do."

"Oh, I'm not a mentor," Tawnytalon purred. "Their mentors are Rushsplash and Pebblefoot—well, Hollowfeather is filling in. They've already been on patrol today and I'm sure their mentors wouldn't be opposed to them becoming acquainted with the Clan's newest member."

Brightheart purred awkwardly. "You make it sound like I'm staying forever, Tawnytalon."

"Well…" He lowered his voice as he padded past Featherpaw to murmur something in Brightheart's ear. Without a word, Brightheart padded past him and focused her attention on Skypaw. Tawnytalon shrugged and padded away to where Sparklesong and a patrol was forming at the entrance to camp.

"Let's share this fish, and I can tell you a story," Brightheart meowed kindly. "How's that?"

Featherpaw and Skypaw exchanged looks. They hadn't missed the dark, somewhat hostile look that had passed over Brightheart's face while Tawnytalon had been whispering to her. But why would the she-cat tell them what he had said? It was obvious he hadn't wanted them to hear.

Shaking the thoughts off, Skypaw nodded to Brightheart, and the three cats moved away to share the fish.

* * *

Five sunsets after Brightheart had arrived in the camp, Skypaw bedded down to sleep early. Her ear was coated in a sticky poultice that Heatherheart had put on after she had quarreled with a bramble bush during hunting. Salmonpaw had stopped being such a stick-in-the-mud, as Featherpaw called him, and he and Featherpaw had been training and hunting together.

Flamepaw and Amberpaw were closer than ever. They always patrolled together, trained together, hunted together… Skypaw was beginning to feel like she had lost both of her siblings—Flamepaw to Amberpaw, and Featherpaw to Salmonpaw.

 _If they both have their own destiny,_ a cruel voice whispered in the back of her head, _where does that leave you? Alone, friendless, an outcast—_

"Shut up," Skypaw muttered into her paws. She was the only one in the den. The voice was just a figment of her imagination.

 _Are you sure?_

This time it was Crookedstar's mew. Skypaw's head jerked up. Crookedstar was sitting on top of Flamepaw's nest, staring at her with his bright green eyes and his twisted jaw.

"What do you want?" she demanded. "Come to give me another riddle?"

 _I only wish to guide you, young Skypaw. Your journey is one of hard paths and peril. Even StarClan does not know where it ends._

"StarClan knows everything," Skypaw snapped.

 _We do not. Sometimes we are just cats too. We can only deliver messages; sometimes we don't know what they mean._

 _Messages?_ Skypaw suddenly thought of what he had told her last time.

"What you said before." Her claws curled into her nest as her heart suddenly started to pound. " _The feathers of the dove are soft and the flames of the sun bring life, but neither would survive without the everlasting sky, understanding and kind._ What does it mean?"

Crookedstar shook his head.

"What's wrong, Skypaw?"

Skypaw twisted to look over her shoulder. Flamepaw was nudging his way into the bramble den, his normally orange paws tipped with mud instead. His fur was spiked up in random places, and a bit of moss was clinging to one ear.

Skypaw turned back to look at Crookedstar, to see him watching Flamepaw.

 _He cannot see me._ His low rumbling voice echoed in Skypaw's head. _You must stay strong, Skypaw. For yourself, and for RiverClan._

Then he stood up and padded towards the wall of the bramble den before vanishing.

"What's wrong?" Flamepaw repeated.

Skypaw hesitated for a minute, then shook her head. "Nothing, I guess," she said wearily. "Shouldn't you be with Amberpaw?" She tried to keep the bitterness from her mew.

"Don't you like Amberpaw?" Apparently she had failed. Flamepaw came over to her and stood by her nest. "Mind if I join you?"

"Amberpaw is stuck-up," Skypaw burst out by way of response. Flamepaw sat down next to her as she pushed herself upright. "She thinks she's better than the rest of us."

Flamepaw looked at her, pausing in washing his paws. "You haven't gotten to know her at all, have you? When was the last time you patrolled with her, or hunted with her?"

Skypaw realized she really hadn't—ever.

"Give Amberpaw a chance," Flamepaw continued, finishing on one paw and moving to the other. "I think you two will get along. And to answer your earlier question, Amberpaw is on elders' duty."

Skypaw shrugged, flicking the piece of moss from Flamepaw's ear with her paw.

"What's wrong?" Flamepaw asked for a third time. Skypaw wanted to lie. She really did.

"I don't know," she finally admitted. "You'll think I'm mouse-dung crazy if I told you everything."

Flamepaw turned his bright green gaze on her. "Try me, feather-brain."

Skypaw managed a purr at their old good-natured nursery insult. Then, with a sigh, she started telling Flamepaw about her dreams. She decided to leave out the parts about Heatherheart and Creamfeather and their odd conversations; no need worrying him over nothing.

Flamepaw was quiet after she finished, thinking hard. "Well," he finally said, "if you don't want to talk to Willowshine and Heatherheart about it, I can help you puzzle out the prophecy."

"Well, I don't _know_ if it's a prophecy," Skypaw insisted lamely. The more she denied it, even to herself, the more pathetic it sounded.

"Feathers, flame, and sky," Flamepaw said. "That could be the three of us. Maybe you're destined for something bigger, Skypaw. Something bigger than RiverClan—maybe even the whole lake."

A chill ran through Skypaw's pelt. Flamepaw's words sounded so ominous. Her belly tightened and she suddenly felt sick. Something bigger than RiverClan? Bigger than every other Clan combined? Did Flamepaw know something?

As if he had read her mind, Flamepaw purred and touched noses with his sister reassuringly. "I'm sure it's nothing dangerous," he purred. Despite his words, Skypaw felt anything but calmed. She didn't want to worry him, though.

"You should be a medicine cat with all of your good advice," Skypaw teased. It was true—Flamepaw had matured quickly for his age, and his eyes held depths of wisdom that even some of the warriors strove for.

"I would never make it," he joked back. "Blood makes me too nervous."

Skypaw purred. How could she have ever thought Flamepaw would abandon her?

Just as she thought that, Featherpaw brushed into the reeds, looking thoughtful. Flamepaw looked over at her.

"It's a regular family reunion in here," he purred at her.

Featherpaw looked up, startled, as if she hadn't seen them. "Hey, I have a question."

Skypaw blinked at the abruptness of the question. "Sure," she meowed, unsure what else to say.

"Where do snakes live around here?"

"Snakes?" Flamepaw asked, as an image suddenly flashed through Skypaw's head, a buried memory from many moons ago, of black and white fur, forest green eyes, a blue collar-cloth, and a meow like the deep call of an owl.

"Why?" Skypaw said, and then flinched at how defensive she sounded.

"I heard Creamfeather talking to Heatherheart about a snake," Featherpaw said. "When I asked what they were talking about Heatherheart growled at me and made me leave."

Skypaw's heart pounded. Her ears started ringing.

 _"I'm an old friend of your mother's. I won't hurt you."_

They were still talking about that tom. Skypaw was sure of it now, sure that they were hiding something, sure that Snake meant more to the sisters than either one was letting on. She didn't know why it scared her so much.

"Skypaw?"

She jumped and jerked her head to look at her sister. Featherpaw was looking at her in confusion, and even Flamepaw looked concerned.

 _Have they really not made the connection yet?_

"Snake," Skypaw said, her voice catching in her throat. "Remember him?"

They were quiet, and then it slowly dawned on each of their faces as they remembered the kittypet with dark green eyes.

"Do you think?" Featherpaw whispered.

Skypaw mutely shook her head as she realized she had never spoken to either of her littermates about the times she had eavesdropped on the two queens.

Featherpaw stared at her paws, and then turned away and settled into her nest without another word. Flamepaw sat down, a dull look of surprise in his beautiful green eyes.

"Why would they be talking about Snake? We haven't seen him in…I don't know _how_ many moons," Flamepaw murmured.

A sneaking suspicion had burrowed into Skypaw's heart, but she kept her mouth shut. She simply shook her head again at her brother as her heart throbbed like the flooding river.


	13. Chapter 13 - Traveling Sky

The next morning after a sleepless night, Skypaw did the sunrise patrol with Rushsplash, Mallownose, Salmonpaw, and his mentor Troutstream. They had just about come full circle when the bushes rustled in front of them. Salmonpaw and Skypaw bristled, expecting a fox or a rogue, or even intruders.

Instead, the ThunderClan cat Brightheart appeared, her tail over Pebblefoot's shoulders as he padded through the ferns cautiously.

"Pebblefoot!" Mallownose meowed happily. "How are you feeling?"

"Stiff from laying around in the medicine den all day," the mottled gray tom replied with a nervous flick of his tail. "Has any cat seen Featherpaw?"

"We left her asleep in the den," Salmonpaw replied.

"That's strange," Brightheart said. "Hollowfeather said that she told him she was coming on patrol with you, Mallownose."

Skypaw suddenly remembered last night's conversation with a bang. All traces of her exhaustion were suddenly gone. What if…

"Do you know where she is?" Salmonpaw suddenly demanded of Skypaw. The warriors turned to her at Salmonpaw's outburst. Skypaw looked at him, too startled to pretend to be clueless. "You three went to sleep awfully early last night," he growled, taking a step towards her. "What did you say to her? Where is Featherpaw?"

"Salmonpaw, back off!" Troutstream meowed, obviously surprised. "She doesn't know any more than we do."

"Then why isn't she saying anything?" Salmonpaw snapped. "She must have said something to Featherpaw to make her run off! That's not like Featherpaw!"

"That's her sister," Mallownose growled. "Don't you dare accuse my kits of disloyalty."

"Let me go look for her," Skypaw begged Rushsplash, instead of responding to Salmonpaw's bristling looks. "Please, she's my littermate."

Rushsplash hesitated.

"I'll take Flamepaw," she insisted. "Please, Rushsplash, no one knows her better than we do."

Rushsplash glanced at Mallownose. Being the senior warrior of the patrol, it would be his decision. But Mallownose was glaring at Salmonpaw, so Rushsplash sighed.

"Take Flamepaw," he finally conceded. "She might have just gone off hunting by herself. Don't alert the Clan. Find her and bring her home, and for StarClan's sake, _be careful._ "

Skypaw was racing off almost before Rushsplash had finished. Her paws pounded on the ground as she followed Brightheart and Pebblefoot's scent trail in reverse. Every breath threatened to tear her lungs from her chest. She flew through the reeds and pelted into the apprentice's den. Flamepaw was still sleeping.

"Frog-dung," Skypaw cursed, then nudged her brother sharply in the ribs. "Flamepaw, wake up!"

"Urgh…geroff me," he mumbled, rolling over. "That's no way to speak to your leader…"

Skypaw rolled her eyes and jabbed him again. This time he flipped over and raised his head sleepily.

"Wassit?" he yawned. "Am I on patrol?"

"Featherpaw's gone," Skypaw hissed in his ear. "The rest of the Clan hasn't noticed yet." As he leapt to his paws, eyes wide, Skypaw continued: "I think I know where she is, but we have to go find her."

They crept out of the den and were about to sneak out through the side of the camp when Heatherheart came up to them.

"Have you two seen Creamfeather?" she asked. "She told Duskfur she was going hunting with Featherpaw this morning, but no cat has seen her."

Skypaw's breath caught. Flamepaw stammered out something, but they were saved when Willowshine called for her apprentice. Heatherheart glanced over her shoulder, and then turned back to Flamepaw and Skypaw.

"Where are you two going?" she asked as Willowshine yowled again. Then Heatherheart shook her head, taking a few steps backwards. "Just keep an eye out for Creamfeather, will you?"

Flamepaw let out a huge rush of air. "I thought we were toast for sure."

Skypaw was already haring off. "Come on, we can go out through the dirtplace."

In less than a few heartbeats, they were running side-by-side towards the stream. Skypaw's brain was whirling. What if Featherpaw found Snake? Or worse—what if Creamfeather found Featherpaw before Skypaw and Flamepaw did?

"Do you think Featherpaw is okay?" Flamepaw called from slightly behind Skypaw. She didn't answer, instead pulling to a halt beside the stream. Flamepaw was already scenting. Skypaw let him; as the best tracker in the apprentices' den, he knew what he was doing.

"She passed through here." He touched his nose to a fern that grew beside a group of cattails. "Brushed past here." He kept his nose low to the ground, padding off down the stream. Skypaw followed, keeping an eye out behind them for patrols or over-curious warriors.

It wasn't long before the bushes and trees became sparser. They stopped at the RiverClan border. Twolegplace reared in the distance like a threatening wave, framed in back by the jagged mountains.

"I haven't been past the border since that day when we were kits," Flamepaw mewed nervously. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"It doesn't matter whether it's a good idea or not," Skypaw snapped. "Featherpaw is over there. She's our sister." And she boldly took a step over the scent markers.

They continued following Featherpaw's scent until Flamepaw stopped so suddenly that Skypaw bumped into him.

"Creamfeather came here," he whispered. Skypaw tasted the air. Sure enough, their mother's warm earthy scent overlaid Featherpaw's. But it was fresher than their sister's, showing that they weren't together.

"Let's keep going," Skypaw murmured. "We have to find Featherpaw."

The sun kept climbing in the sky, as more and more dark clouds rolled in. A cold breeze whispered over the almost brush-free grass. Skypaw shivered and fluffed up her pelt. The chill was seeping into her bones, her paws hurt, and her belly was yowling in hunger.

Flamepaw tripped over a rock and almost fell. "Mouse-dung," he cursed, shaking his paw as he sat down, licking it briskly a few times. "I'm so hungry I can't think straight."

Skypaw was hesitant to stop. What if Creamfeather caught up to Featherpaw while they were stuffing themselves? What if Featherpaw got into trouble? She shook her head. "We can't stop," she meowed out loud. "It's not that much farther. We'll get Featherpaw and then hunt on the way home."

Flamepaw didn't look happy, but he sighed and stood up, and they continued their painfully slow trek to Twolegplace.

It was past sunhigh when they reached the Thunderpath on the outskirts of the Twolegplace. Skypaw was stumbling over her paws—she hadn't eaten since sunhigh the day before, and her head was spinning.

"One mouse," Flamepaw begged. "Skypaw, we're going to collapse if we don't hunt something."

She sat down, shaking her head to clear it, and nodded weakly. "We'll eat some and then cross the Thunderpath."

It didn't take the two apprentices very long to catch three water voles and a mouse. They ate like they hadn't eaten in moons, and Skypaw immediately felt better. Then they both crept up to the Thunderpath.

"I've never been near one of these," Skypaw admitted.

"Neither have I," Flamepaw whispered. "Do we just run across?"

Skypaw reached forward and put a paw on the black path. Immediately, she could feel it trembling. Curious, she leaned forward to look—and a monster blasted past, two mouse-lengths in front of her nose. The wind threw her backwards, just as another roared by going the opposite direction. Flamepaw yelped.

"So," Skypaw said, trembling as she rose to her paws, "I think when the path shakes, that means a monster is coming. And we have to run across between monsters."

"Easier said than done!" Flamepaw squeaked.

It was true; the other end of the Thunderpath was many fox-lengths away. Skypaw steeled her nerves and touched the path again. It was still.

"On my count, Flamepaw—ready— _run!_ " She leapt forward and tore across the path, unable to see if Flamepaw was following. The path began shaking, and the bright eyes of a monster grew steadily closer. Heart throbbing in her throat, she put on an extra burst of speed and threw herself off the other side just as the monster roared past. Gasping, she turned to see if Flamepaw was following—and didn't see her brother.

"Flamepaw!" she yowled, her stomach twisting. The other edge of the Thunderpath was empty, and she didn't see him on the black path. "Flamepaw!"

"Over here," came the meek meow. Skypaw spun around and saw Flamepaw pulling himself backwards out of a bramble bush. Skypaw's legs almost gave out. She bounded over to her brother. His white belly and orange paws were stained black with dirt and Thunderpath grit. His fur was unkempt and one ear had a bramble in it. Skypaw was sure she didn't look much better.

"Featherpaw is either really brave or absolutely crazy to do this by herself," Flamepaw muttered, flexing his claws and shaking out bits of bracken. Skypaw, shaking with exhaustion and fear, couldn't help but agree.


End file.
